1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic timepiece for producing a time tone on the hour, more particularly, to a timepiece which produces a time tone based on a time code signal from a time code disk rotating together with a hour hand, and to a timepiece which automatically discriminates between AM and PM.
2. Prior Art
A conventional timepiece of the former type is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent (second) Publication No. 56-5357. This conventional timepiece is adapted to detect a time code signal in a predetermined period of time before the hour, which signal is obtained from a time code disk operatively associated with the rotation of an hour hand shaft, and to produce a time tone comparing the time code signal with a number of clock strikes when the on-the-hour time (The term "on-the-hour time" as used in the following description and in the appended claims has the meaning of the time when the current time comes on the hour.) is attained.
In the example of the prior art mentioned above, produce of the time tone is prepared for in advance by detecting the code signal corresponding to the on-the-hour time is a predetermined period of time before the hour. Accordingly, if a monitoring operation is performed after detection of the code signal but before the on-the-hour time, the indication given by the time tone will differ from the actual time. In other words, the monitored time tone will indicate the next hour.
Further, in an electronic timepiece producing a time tone and having a night silencing circuit for inhibiting the produce of the time tone during midnight, it is necessary to discriminate between AM and PM.
A conventional timepiece of this type is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-195188. In this conventional timepiece, a 24-hours counter is employed for counting the present time. This timepiece discriminates AM and PM by using an output signal of the 24-hours counter.
However, when a battery is changed or when the user corrects a time, the 24-hours counter doesn't operate in accordance with movement of indicating hands. Therefore, in this prior art, it is necessary to take special operation for correspondingly setting the counter to time indicated by the indicating hands.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above-mentioned problem in the prior arts.